STL Filmmakers Land Official Documentary In 2016 International Blues Challenge

Since St. Louis has such a remarkable background in Blues music, and Memphis, TN is just a short car ride away, the 2016 International Blues Challenge is worth scheduling into your agenda this year. This annual event, going on its 32nd year, brings Blues musicians and fans from around the world together to celebrate the history and passion behind the beloved genre.

Photo courtesy of TrAGik Entertainment LLC

This year is particularly special because TrAGik Entertainment’s new documentary, “America’s Blues,” will be the official documentary of the International Blues Challenge as a special guest of the Blues Foundation. The award-winning documentary will be showing at 1pm on Jan. 28 at the famed Blues City Cafe on historic Beale Street in Memphis. The event is free, co-sponsored by Indie-Memphis and will be followed by a Q&A session with St. Louis filmmakers Patrick Branson and Aaron Pritchard. In a press release, Branson says, “It’s such a huge honor to be a part of one of the biggest Blues events in the world. We’ve also been invited to the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles this February. It’s amazing to see our little independent film at such prestigious cultural events.”

“America’s Blues” tells a story of the profound impact that Blues music has had on our society, popular culture, and the entertainment industry. “When I watched the film, I knew there was something special there,” says Barbara Newman, newly appointed president and CEO of The Blues Foundation.

The difference between this documentary and other films with a focus on Blues is the film’s emphasis. “We wanted to take a different angle on the Blues so we mixed history with popular culture and came up with a story that is both unique and entertaining, something different,” Branson says.

So come one, come all and experience an event that serves one purpose and one purpose only—to explore the love of Blues music.